Paul Szmal: This happens to be National Safe Boating Week, so it's an appropriate time for us to check in with our safe boating expert, and that's Ira Goldman. Ira, good morning. Welcome back to the show. How are you, sir?
Guest: Good morning, Paul. I'm fine. I hope you are the same.
Paul Szmal: Yes, yes. As we mentioned, National Safe Boating Week, and the first thing that comes to mind, I don't think we can really say this enough, is that there was a change a couple of years ago where now anybody who operates a boat with any type of motor in the state has to pass a safe boating course and have a safe boating certificate on board when they're out on the lakes and rivers and whatnot.
Guest: That's correct. There are very few exceptions for people that have Coast Guard licenses, and those folks know who they are. But if you don't fall into that category, and you're not renting a boat from a business who takes responsibility to educate you for the time you're using their boat, you must have a safe boating certificate. You get that by taking an approved course by the National Association of Boating Law Administrators, which covers almost every state in the country. And the America's Boating Club, which I'm a member of, and they have an America's Boating course, which covers all of that and some other things, knots and lines and things that the New York State and commercial courses don't. There are America's Boating Club chapters in Whatcom Glen and Auburn, and you can find others and online courses at americasboatingcourse.com. The Sheriff's Office, of course, and the Saunders Finger Lakes Museum and the Finger Lakes Boating Museum all offer courses, and you can find those on the New York State Parks and Recreation Boating Education website.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, and the consequences of this, if you don't have one of these certificates on board, you haven't taken the course, could result in a fine of up to $250. But more importantly, you could be restricted from operating the boat on water. So it's critically important to get that course under your belt.
Guest: Yeah, because you can take it online and three or four hours less than the eight hour in-person courses. It's not the way we'd recommend doing it, but at least it would keep you from getting that fine.
Paul Szmal: I remember a couple of years ago being out on Oneida Lake with my father-in-law doing a little fishing, and we were actually stomped by one of the mobile, I believe, sheriff's patrols that was out on the water, and they did a spawn inspection, and one of the things they were checking was to make sure we had the appropriate number of life jackets on board.
Guest: That's correct, and you must have a life jacket for every person on board, and most of the people who drown in a boating accident or were killed in a boating accident drown because they're not wearing a life jacket. So it's the most important single thing you can do. Youngsters under the age of 12 must wear the life jacket on board, and quite frankly, we recommend that everybody wear them, and you find one that you don't mind wearing. There's a number of inflatable life jackets that are like a collar that go around your neck or around your waist, and it's the best protection you can have, particularly if you're the primary boat operator in your group or family, and something happens to you and you fall overboard. You're relying on somebody else not familiar to get back and find you, so that's why I wear one when I'm out, you know, with the grandkids and stuff, and it's convenient. If you have visitors, particularly kids, and you don't have an appropriate life jacket, the BoatUS loaner program for kids has a number of locations in the area where you can borrow one for free, and you find those by going to BoatUS life jacket loaner website. And the technology of life jackets has changed tremendously over the years to the point now where they have different life jackets for different applications, like if you're paddling or you're fishing, so there's definitely stuff out there that's appropriate to the level of use that you're going to have.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, and particularly if you're participating in towed sports, we'll talk a little more about that, I think, in the summer interview when people are actually out there, but you must use an appropriately labeled life jacket for the sport you're in. Tubing, wakeboarding, water skiing, everybody doing one of those activities must have a life jacket on. We're talking with Ira Goldman about some safe boating practices as we get ready to crank up the boating season here in the Finger Lakes region. We've covered life jackets as a very important piece of safety equipment, but there are also other things that you should have or are required to have on your boat, and those things like flares and fire extinguishers, they have a shelf life, so it's worth checking out what the expiration date is before you plan to go out on the water.
Guest: Yes, as you mentioned, two of the required types of equipment are visual distress signals, and historically, flares have a three-year expiration date. Quite frankly, a burning flare on a small boat in one of the Finger Lakes is probably adding to the danger, so now the New York State and the Coast Guard have approved LED flashing, SOS flashing lights in place of burning flares, and they have no expiration date, so that's probably the best way to take care of that. Fire extinguishers must be replaced every 12 years from the date of manufacture, and that's stamped on the bottom. If you have a fire extinguisher with no date, that means it is over 12 years old and must be replaced. If you have an inflatable life jacket, you need to check the expiration date on the bobbin or the trigger that makes it inflate automatically. The cylinders themselves do not have an expiration date, but if it's been triggered, you'll see a red indicator, and that means that has to be replaced. And to check on all this, the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the America's Boating Club offer the free vessel safety checks, which go over all this. It's not reported to anybody, just you, so you know what you have and what you need, and you can find that by going to theamericaboatingclub.org and look for a free vessel safety check.
Paul Szmal: And when you're getting ready to get the boat out on the water, it's important to not rush the startup. There are some suggested best practices for firing the engines up for the first time.
Guest: Now that's especially important for gasoline-powered boats with inboard engines and closed compartments. Gasoline is heavier than air, and it's not uncommon for a gasoline engine to have a small leak. You don't notice it on a car or truck because the gasoline vapors sink to the ground and are blown away, but in a boat, they collect in the bilge. So that's why most boats built in the last 50 years have a blower, exhaust blower, and you need to run that for four minutes before you start the engine. And if it's convenient to do so, we also recommend opening the engine compartment and sniffing. Your nose is a great detector for gasoline vapors. And this is particularly important after you visit the gas dock and fill up because if gas fumes got down into the engine compartment or below in the boat, it's an automatic invitation to an explosion and fire. And the other thing about starting, particularly first time out, is alcohol is a continuing factor in boating fatality. So it's best to have a designated boat operator, just like a driver. You know, it's not illegal to have an open can of beer or drink on board, but it is still illegal to be operating under the influence. And finally, in the startup, particularly your first startup of the season, if you have a trailerable boat, don't forget to put the drain plug in before launching the boat. It seems automatic, but it's amazing how many people forget that.
Paul Szmal: I have seen that at camp up in Canada more than a few times, Ira. Even if you've already gotten your safe boating certificate and you're good there, always good to brush up on the basics before you go out for the first time in a season.
Guest: Yeah, that's true. And you want to share with your guests where the equipment is, what to do if an emergency arises, particularly if you have a health issue or something else that means you're not able to participate, but you want them to know where the life jackets are stored if they're not wearing them. First aid kit, how to start and shut down the engine, how to hold on. Usually, you know, one hand for yourself and keep one hand somewhere on the boat. You know, don't put arms and legs between the boat and the dock. That's the call for things. And in this area, you know, guests should know how to call for help. And a cell phone calling 911 is the ideal way to contact the Sheriff's Marine Patrol. But if you're on a bigger body of water, Sotus Bay, Lake Ontario, having a marine VHF radio and contacting the Coast Guard is your best source of help. And if you do have family members that go with you from time to time, the America's Boating Club has a seminar, two-hour seminar, which is called Crew at the Helm or Partner in Command. And you can take that online. You go to the americasboatingclub.org website and look under the Learn menu. And one other important thing, and I like this idea a lot, is let someone know where you're going, how long you plan to be out, and what to do if you don't make it back or have to call for help.
Paul Szmal: Yes, that is important. You know, if you do have a breakdown of some sort, even though you're not, people need to know where to look for you.
Guest: They do have a variety of places you can find forms called a float plan, which if you're going off for, you know, cruise around a big lake like Seneca for a week or a weekend, that's probably a very useful thing to do. It describes the boat, how many people are on board, how to contact it. But even if you're just going out for a day sail across the lake for an hour, I go out with my sunfish across Puka Lake, I make sure my wife or somebody knows where I'm going. Most of the times she can see me, but sometimes I get down the lake a little ways. So it's always good to let people know where you are and for their sanity and yours.
Paul Szmal: As always, Ira, we appreciate the info. Thank you so much and we'll check in with you in a little bit later on when we get into the summer boating season.
Guest: It's always a pleasure, Paul. Thank you very much for having me.
